Recipe names like this always make me think of the book Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. I bet somewhere in the town of Chewandswallow, amidst all the chaos, was a perceptive mother. She saw the signs of an impending Act of Food and so decided to just let that zucchini in her garden keep growing. While the rest of the townspeople eyed her strangely as they indulged in falling pie and fried chicken, she ignored them, confident in her knowledge of what was coming. Soon, it all changed. Pea soup engulfed the town. Stale bread filled the ocean. Meatballs fell from the sky. The rest of the town cobbled together peanut butter sandwich rafts that were doomed to water log. Meanwhile, this clever mother harvested her zucchini and herded her family inside, including the pet cat and Little Daughter’s fireflies. They were warm, dry, and well fed as their zucchini ark was tossed about the ocean. Having grown her family to safety, this woman now lives among us, smiling politely at our weak jokes about zucchini boats.

Not many of us have the luxury of using our overgrown squash to save our families. However, every summer, the frugal among us struggle to use up these garden mistakes. When my freezer is stocked full of grated zucchini, destined to become wintertime zucchini bread, I turn to this recipe to use my . . . uhhhh . . . corpulent squash. This is a basic recipe that has many variations. It is well suited to using leftovers or other excess garden produce. Tailor it to fit what you have on hand.

Zucchini Boats

1 large zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
1 cup cooked grain, such as rice or barley ( I used buckwheat)
A drizzle of olive oil
1/2 and onion, diced
1 small thumb of ginger, peeled and grated
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 small handful of parsley
salt and pepper

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, scoop out the middle of each zucchini half, much as you would de-seed a cucumber. You want to have sturdy walls, but also make enough space for the filling. If the zucchini is not too stringy, you can add it in with the filling later or reserve it for another use (like zucchini muffins!). Carefully place the zucchini halves into the water. If they are too long, you may have to cut them in half. Return to a boil and cook for until they are almost tender, about 10-15 minutes. Take the halves out and let them cool. (This is a good time to be preparing you grain.) Saute the onion and ginger in the oil. Mix together your cooked grain and the onion ginger mixture. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Gingerly (Ha! Gingerly!) spoon the mixture into the hollowed out zucchini halves. Sprinkle on the bread crumbs and toast in a 200º oven (or toaster oven) for 10 minutes, or until everything is hot and the crumbs are golden brown and delicious. Using scissors, snip the parsley over the boat and serve.